Vehicle marker light having metal strap extending into cupped lens

ABSTRACT

A vehicle marker light has a cupped lens enclosing a lamp and its socket. The lamp base comprises a comparatively narrow metal strap extending longitudinally of the lens and, except for its outwardly bent ends, lying within the lens. At its center the strap is bent inward of the lens, then bent longitudinally along the inner surface of the top of the lens, then bent outwardly of the lens, and then longitudinally again, the outwardly bent portion being apertured for securement of the socket thereto and the longitudinally extending portion along the top of the lens being apertured and threaded for reception of a screw passing through the top of the lens. The outwardly bent ends of the strap have spring biased detent ends for quick installation in holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body. A resilient pad between the lens and strap has a perimetrical resilient skirt for sealed engagement with the vehicle body.

United States Patent Steltzer et al.

[151 3,656,1d5 1 Apr. 11,1972

[ VEHICLE MR L1G HAVING METAL STRAP EXTENDING INTO CUPPED LENS [72] Inventors: Ernest R. Steltzer, Lysander; Edward J.

Nitsch, Camillus, both of NY.

[51] Int. Cl ..B60q 1/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..340/l 19, 110, 112

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,831 11/1936 Smith ..340/l19 Primary Examiner-Harold l. Pitts Attorney-Bums & Jenney ABSTRACT A vehicle marker light has a cupped lens enclosing a lamp and its socket. The lamp base comprises a comparatively narrow metal strap extending longitudinally of the lens and, except for its outwardly bent ends, lying within the lens. At its center the strap is bent inward of the lens, then bent longitudinally along the inner surface of the top of the lens, then bent outwardly of the lens, and then longitudinally again, the outwardly bent portion being apertured for securement of the socket thereto and the longitudinally extending portion along the top of the lens being apertured and threaded for reception of a screw passing through the top of the lens. The outwardly bent ends of the strap have spring biased detent ends for quick installation in holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body. A resilient pad between the lens and strap has a perimetrical resilient skirt for sealed engagement with the vehicle body.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures VEHICLE MARKER LIGHT HAVING METAL STRAP ING INTO CUPPED LENS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to vehicle marker lights and more particularly to a light having a lens secured to a fastening strap which has projecting ends adapted to be quickly snapped into engagement in holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body.

Prior art marker lights have conventionally had a base sup porting a lamp socket, the base having a flat portion adapted to be secured, over an intervening resilient pad, to a flat portion of the vehicle body by screws or the like, the lens, which usually is cupped to enclose the lamp, being secured by separate fastening means to the base. Usually the perimeter of the base is substantially coextensive with that of the lens and a wide variety of lamp socket retaining configurations have been employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the base comprising an elongated metal strap lying entirely within a cupped lens except for outwardly projecting ends adapted for quick connection in holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body. The strap has an intermediate portion, bent inwardly of the lens, to which the lamp socket is secured and to which the lens is secured by means of a screw fastener passing through a hole in the top of the lens.

The projecting ends of the strap are adapted for quick connection to the vehicle body. At least one end has a bayonettype, spring detent tip, reduced in width, at the end of its projecting portion. The reduction in width at the tip provides a shoulder at each side of the strap facing outwardly of the lens to prevent too deep insertion in the hole in the vehicle body. Spaced from this shoulder by a still narrower neck portion at the center of the strap is an inwardly facing shoulder at each side and the tip from the latter shoulder is tapered to a blunt point for easy insertion in the hole in the sheet metal portion of the body.

The tip and an adjacent portion of the strap is centrally slotted so that the tip may be compressed by engagement of the tapered portion in the hole until the inwardly facing shoulder passes beneath the under surface of the sheet metal and the sides of the tip spring apart locking the tip in the hole.

A modified form of strap has only one end provided with the bayonet-type tip, the other end being provided with a diagonally projecting tongue which can be inserted endwise into a hole by tilting the light. When the tongue is in the hole the light is tilted back again and the other bayonet-type tipped end of the strap is inserted into its hole, the tonguebeing thereby locked in engagement under the sheet metal portion of the body.

A resilient pad, engaging the lip of the lens and having a central hole for the inwardly bent portion of the strap, is secured between the strap and the lens and has a resilient perimetrical skirt projecting outward of the lens for sealing engagement with the outer surface of the vehicle body. The resilient skirt also biases the strap away from the vehicle body holding the quick connection means at the strap ends in engagement with the inner surface of the body sheet metal portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a merker light according to the invention, the ends of the strap member and inner configuration of the screw hole reinforcement only being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the lamp and socket in position;

FIG; 3 is a bottom plan view of the light;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the strap member as viewed from the right in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of strap; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the left end of the strap of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The marker light 10 of FIG. 1 comprises a cupped lens 11 of translucent plastic material, a metal strap 12, and a molded rubber mounting pad 13.

The lens 11 is elongated and cup-shaped to contain a socket 14 and lamp 15, as best seen in FIG. 2. At the center of its top, lens 11 has a hole 16 reinforced at 17 (FIG. 1) for receiving a metal screw 18 which passes through a threaded mating hole 19 in the strap 12 and secures the lens 11 thereto.

The center portion of the strap 12 is bent upwards as shown in FIG. 2, and this upwardly bent portion 20 terminates in a horizontally bent portion 21 in which hole 19 is perforated and tapped and which extends along beneath the reinforcement 17 in the top of the lens. From the forward end of portion 21 the strap is bent sharply downward and outwardly of the lens 11, and this portion 22 is apertured to receive a tubular portion 23 of the socket 14 which is curled over in conventional manner to secure the socket to the strap. The socket and lamp 15 are thus contained within the enlarged forward portion of lens 11. One of the lead wires 24 extends through the tubular portion 23 of the socket and the other is electrically connected to strap 12 by a rivet 25 through portion 20 of the strap.

Both ends of strap 12 have a portion extending substantially horizontally in FIG. 2 and an end portion 26 bent sharply away from lens 1 1 and projecting outwardly therefrom.

As seen in FIG. 2, the end portions 26 terminate in quick connection means of the bayonet-type for securement in appropriate holes 27 on either side of a lead wire entrance hole 28 in a sheet metal portion 30 of the vehicle body.

As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end portions 26 terminate in a tip 31 which is narrower than the rest of the strap providing shoulders 32 on either side of tip 31 which face outwardly of the lens. Beyond the shoulders 32, the end 26 is joined to tip 31 by a central neck 33 which is narrower than tip 31 leaving shoulders 34 on either side of neck 33 which face toward the shoulders 32 and toward lens 11. Beyond shoulders 34 the tip 31 is inwardly tapered to a blunt point.

Each end of strap is bifurcated by a slot 35 which extends through tip 31 and neck 33 and widens at 36 and extends along the horizontal portions at the ends of the strap. By reason of this bifurcation the tip 31 is squeezed together when its pointed end is inserted in a hole 27. When the end 26 is pushed toward the vehicle body until shoulders 32 engage portion 30, the tip portions 31 spring apart and the shoulders 34 engage the under surface of body portion 30 locking strap 12 to the vehicle body.

The resilient pad 13 is substantially coextensive with the downwardly facing lip 38 of the lens as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and has an upwardly projecting shoulder 39 therearound which engages the inner face of the lip 38. The pad 13 is secured between lens 11 and the ends of strap 12. A rectangular hole 40 substantially at the center of the pad allows portions 20, 21 and 22 of the strap to project into the interior of the lens and allows lead wires 24 to extend through the hole 28.

Pad 13 has a thin, resilient skirt 41 therearound at its bottom for engagement with the surface of portion 30 of the vehicle body. This resilient'skirt forces lens 13 and the attached strip 12 away from portion 30 ensuring that the shoulders 34 at the tips 31 of the strap ends are firmly engaged with under surface of portion 30 at the holes 27 A modified strap 12' is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which only one end is provided with the bayonet-type lock with a tip 31. The other end is provided with a quick-connect fastener comprising a turned down end 26' from which extends a central, diagonally downward projecting tongue 43. The tongue is narrower than the remainder of strap 12' leaving a shoulder 32' on either side which faces outwardly of the lens. Portions 20', 21 and 22' are like portions 20, 21 and 22 of strap 12 and are adapted to project up through the hole 23 of the pad to provide a support for the socket and means for attachment to the lens.

In installing a light having a strap 12', the assembly is first tilted so that tongue 43 may be inserted downward into its hole 27 in body portion 30, then the light is lowered against portion 30 and the tip 31 forced into its hole 27 until it snaps into place. Now the tongue 43 has been tilted so that it underlies the portion 30 adjacent its hole 27 and is locked in place by reason of the other end of the strap being locked in place.

As will be apparent to those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

1 claim:

1. A vehicle marker light comprising a cupped lens, an elongated metal strap, a resilient pad between the strap and the lens, the center portion of the strap being bent to extend through a hole in the pad into the interior of the lens, a lamp socket secured to the center portion, and means for securing the lens to the strap, the strap ends being bent to extend away from the lens and having detent means for engagement with a portion of the vehicle body.

2. A vehicle marker light having a cupped lens, an elongated metal strap extending longitudinally of the lens and having ends bent to extend outwardly of the lens, a resilient pad between strap and lens, the central portion of the strap being bent to project within the lens through a hole in the pad and having a portion extending beneath the top of the lens, a screw through the lens securing the lens to the strap, and a lamp socket secured to the strap within the lens, the outwardly extending strap ends having spring biased detent means for engagement with the edges of holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body.

3. The vehicle marker light as defined in claim 2 having at least one strap end bifurcated and having a bifurcated tip tapered to a blunt point, the tip being connected to the strap by a narrower bifurcated neck portion providing shoulders on either side of the neck facing toward the lens for engagement with a portion of the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle marker light defined in claim 2 having at least one strap end terminating in a tongue extending diagonally from the strap end for quick insertion in a hole in the vehicle body. 

1. A vehicle marker light comprising a cupped lens, an elongated metal strap, a resilient pad between the strap and the lens, the center portion of the strap being bent to extend through a hole in the pad into the interior of the lens, a lamp socket secured to the center portion, and means for securing the lens to the strap, the strap ends being bent to extend away from the lens and having detent means for engagement with a portion of the vehicle body.
 2. A vehicle marker light having a cupped lens, an elongated metal strap extending longitudinally of the lens and having ends bent to extend outwardly of the lens, a resilient pad between strap and lens, the central portion of the strap being bent to project within the lens through a hole in the pad and having a portion extending beneath the top of the lens, a screw through the lens securing the lens to the strap, and a lamp socket secured to the strap within the lens, the outwardly extending strap ends having spring biased detent means for engagement with the edges of holes in a sheet metal portion of the vehicle body.
 3. The vehicle marker light as defined in claim 2 having at least one strap end bifurcated and having a bifurcated tip tapered to a blunt point, the tip being connected to the strap by a narrower bifurcated neck portion providing shoulders on either side of the neck facing toward the lens for engagement with a portion of the vehicle body.
 4. The vehicle marker light defined in claim 2 having at least one strap end terminating in a tongue extending diagonally from the strap end for quick insertion in a hole in the vehicle body. 